While exploring the tide pools in the coral formations on the east side of Cozumel on my last trip to the island, I looked up to find that I was sharing my stretch of beach with two young local men. I waved and they approached and we struck up a conversation in English.

--This is probably a good time to point out that on Cozumel, women, by themselves or in small groups, will undoubtedly be approached by Mexican men. That is just the way it is. It is all very polite and respectful, but completely open to possibilities. If you are married or uninterested, just say so and that will be the end of it. But if you are open to making new friends, you will have plenty of opportunities. I think it is one of the wonderful things about Cozumel. (Sorry I can’t tell you if single men have the same experience. Maybe an Insider visitor can let me know.)--

Anyway, the men, Miguel and Manuel, were brothers who had come over from the mainland to work at one of the resorts on the island. With a day off from work, they had decided to explore the island. They admitted that their English needed improvement and I explained that my Spanish wasn’t exactly flawless. Soon we had agreed to spend the afternoon giving each other language lessons.

We walked the beach pointing to objects and sharing the English and Spanish words for them. I learned or relearned the words for shells, seaweed, sky, waves, sand, coral, etc., and I shared my knowledge as well. We headed down to Punta Morena cantina (excellent fresh fish dinners) where we continued our lesson. The location provided opportunities to learn words for different drinks, foods, surfing, parasailing, and a host of common everyday words that I had not learned or heard spoken. And it gave me the opportunity to practice words I already knew. The language lesson soon turned into a party atmosphere with other cantina visitors joining in.

We were having so much fun with it and learning more than we expected, so Manuel, Miguel and I decided to continue the lesson in town, taking a short tour and pointing to things like shops, churches, and all kinds of items for sale along the streets.

We wound up our day at a local cantina in town where we again drew other people in to our language lesson. It was one of the most enjoyable days I have spent on the island. I admit I learned some words you will never hear in Spanish class, but truthfully, one should really know how to cuss properly in several languages.

My adventure reminded me that there is common ground when it comes to language on Cozumel, with both tourists and locals wanting to learn. Rather than being a barrier, different languages can bring people together and provide wonderful opportunities to make new friends. You just have to be open to new adventures.

Spanish Learning Packages consisting of multi-day classes and local neighborhood accomodations. What better way to enhance your learning experience than to be able to practice your new found skills at every corner!
Starting $ 385/person

Donít let fear of the unknown keep you from experiencing Cozumel's beautiful underwater world. This truly is one of the most unforgettable aspects of the island and there is more than one way to experience this!